


and ground our sadness down

by mayachain



Series: birthday!verse [46]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Birthday, Established Relationship, Family, Family Secrets, Friendship, M/M, Marauders' Era, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, Remus' wandering years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 06:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13920873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayachain/pseuds/mayachain
Summary: Three times Remus paused in silence on his birthday.





	and ground our sadness down

**March 10th, 1978**

Remus looked up from his research when he realized that the table had actually gone quiet. Usually, at least one of their group would be asking questions (Peter) or commenting on their assignment (Sirius). Right at this moment, however, each of them was absorbed in their reading – or, in Lily’s case, writing. The sounds of a quill scratching parchment or a page turning were the only noises in their corner of the common room. It was unnerving.

There were less than three months left before NEWTs. Three months before they would all have to fend for themselves. None of the others would have trouble getting a job. For himself, Remus was far from confident. He was already dreading the day James would say: “It’s not charity, we’re _friends_!”

If the open war Dumbledore feared broke out, none of it might matter one bit – 

“Uh, Moony -” Peter piped up. He had a finger on a passage of Herbology text and the expression on his face that screamed _that’s wrong, right?_

Lily continued with her essay, unperturbed, but Sirius and James perked up, ready to be entertained. Remus, relieved, leaned over to pay attention.

 

**March 10th, 1988**

He shut the door behind himself with a smile. For a second, a pang of loneliness accosted him as the emptiness of the room became apparent, but it was hard to feel it when he was this full of the stew and the cake he’d been served.

He’d been hesitant to return to British soil so soon, but he’d wanted to make sure that the nest he’d found last April had been completely weeded out – extremely likely, he had been thorough, after all – and, more pressingly, that his assessment had been right and the shrubbery had hidden no others.

Anyway, despite the Ministry sending someone – through Arthur – to their aid a year ago, old Mr. Robertson was of the steadfast opinion that “We’re Islanders, is what we are!” Not British soil, Shetland, then, at least not quite, not in the eyes of the magical populace.

Molly’s care package had been delivered while he’d been out. It was a good thing that the contents would keep well into next week. Right now, Remus would not have been able to eat another bite if someone had paid him for it.

‘Old Mr. Robertson might even be alright with finding out I’m a werewolf,’ Remus mused, ‘if only to stick it to _the man_.’ Not that he would ever risk revealing himself… But it was still a nice thought to entertain.

 

**March 10th, 2018**

Remus stood in his living room door, looking over the assembled guests, fighting the urge to pinch himself. How packed their sofa corner was! 

There was Severus, of course, where he belonged, and Teddy, back from Norway for the weekend. Neville, tired from his week of dealing with students, and Draco, face drawn from a meeting that could have gone better. Nahuel, regaling Victoire with some tale or other, and Jerochim, who was no doubt telling Severus about the moors he wanted to investigate while he was here.

Augusta and Narcissa, who would always choose seats as far from each other as possible but were no longer so tensely polite it was painful.

And Victoire. Victoire, who _knew_ now.

To think that those nine only made up half of his loved ones.

As Remus drew nearer, he recognized the story of the time he and Nahuel had vanquished a Boggart that hadn’t been identified as such by an agitated group of Swiss Defence experts: All three had been afraid of the same creature.

“I forget,” Nahuel interrupted himself as soon as he spotted his friend, “Remus Lupin, how was it that we determined the difference and named the fiend?”

Remus smiled at Victoire who was listening avidly, and smiled even brighter when Severus shifted to make room next to himself without pausing his and Jerochims conversation. “The shade of Madame Fleck’s manifestation was just the slightest bit lighter,” he said. 

The spot he found on the sofa was very warm.

 

.


End file.
